Water-gage.



No. 640,323. Patented 1an. 2, |900.

. l.. SCHRAM.

WATER GAGE.

(Application led Mar. 18, 1899 LNu Model() trarne artt* trice.

WATER-GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 640,328, dated January 2, 1900.

Serial No. 709,667. (No model.)

To (all wtont it vit/,ty concern/f Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LUnsDEN SCHRAM, manufacturer, of the town of Voodstock,in the county of Oxford, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Gages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in watengages; and the object of theinvention is to devise a simple and effective emergency cut-oit' valve for water-gages which when a gage-glass breaks will etfectually prevent any danger of scalding or accident by automatic closure to prevent the water and steam escaping; and it consists, essentially, of hollow tubular valves adapted to it in the passage-ways leading from the interior boiler into the cocks and havinga seat at one end of the cock, each valve being provided with a head having cross-slots next the boiler and holes leading into 'the interior next the head, and the opposite end beingprovided with notches, such valves being actuated as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure l is a sectional perspective view of a glass water-gage provided with my improved emergency cut-off valve. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the valve-stem.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is the end ot' the boiler, and B and C are the two cocks, which are provided with valvestems Z) and c, each of which screws into the body of the cock, as indicated.

I) is the glass tube extending between the cocks.

b and c are the passage-ways leading into the cocks B and C. The inner end of the each cock is provided with a threaded extension B and C', onto which are screwed the extension-plugs B2 and C?, which are themselves suitably screwed into the end of the boiler. The extensionplugs have passage-ways extending through them provided with enlargements b2 and c2. The ends of the extensions B and C are provided with annular tace-recesses b3 and c3.

F are the hollow valves, which iitwithin the assaYe-wavs b' and c leadinfY into the cock.

The valves F are cylindrical in form and pro- 5o understood that this is the ordinary p0si 6o tion, although I have shown the lower one screwed inwardly, so as to come in contact with the end of the hollow valve. I have only shown this valve secured inwardly, however, to exemplify the operation of the stem 6 5 in order to permit the easy access of the water into the gage-glass after it has been broken.

I shall now briefly describe the operation of my cut-off valve. Both stems b and c are set in the same position as that shown as to 7o the stem b. The waterin the boiler of course fills also the gage glass and cocks and pas sage-ways leading thereto. When the glass D is broken, which arises from various causes not necessary here to enumerate, the force of 7 5 the water behind the heads f forces them both forwardly in the direction indicated by arrow, so that the annular knife-edges flat the front side of the head close into the annular recesses b3 c3, so that the supply of 8o the water is immediately shut oft from the gage-glass D. Of course the inner side of the head f maybe ilat; but I prefer using the form described, as the knife, which serves to cut into the dirt which may be in the groove b3, forms a perfectly water-tight joint. It will thus be seen that when the gage-glass D is broken there will be no dan geref any scalding or other accident taking place, as merely the water in the gage-glass and gage-cocks 9o will fall instead ot' being impelled or caused to spurt outwardly by the force of the water under pressure in the boiler.

It will lbe readily seen that a new glass may be inserted and the valve-stems b and c may be screwed inwardly, as shown, by the lower valve-stem, thereby allowing the Water from the boiler to pass around the head f of the valve F and through the holes f2 into the interior of the valve, whence it passes out through the notches f3 at the outer end of the valves into the cocks, and thence into the gageg tube.

Under ordinary circumstances the spiral spring G is unnecessary to force the head f of the valve from its seat, and especially so in stationary boilers. In locomotive-work, however, it is preferable to have such a spring in order to hold the head midway in the enlargement b2 of the' plugs B2, so that the Water will readily pass around it without disturbing it, as otherwise the jarring of the locomotive might have a tendency to disturb the head and force it agaiast its seat unnecessarily.

The cross-slots f hereinbefore described serve to allow of the passage of the Water aroundthe head should such head by unforeseen circumstances be forced against theinner end of the enlargement of the eXtension-plu g. If such slots were not provided and the heads loi the valve happened to be abutting thel ends of the enlargement in the plugs, if the water fell in the boiler such gage-tube would be useless, as it would still remain iilled with water instead of the level of the water in the boiler indicating on theA tube.

I am aware that it is not new to provide Valves in the cocks of gages for automatically shutting oft the supply of Water to the v gage-glass, and I do not lay claim, broadly, to any such device.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with the boiler and gage-glass ot' a cock at each end of said glass, passages leading from the boiler to said glass through said cocks, valves located in said passages, each of said valves having an enlarged head with cross-slots in the face thereof, and a tubular stem having slotted ends, an inlet to said valve leading through said ,stem and valve-stems adapted to partly close 

